| When I was a manager with Time-Life, one of my | | | | who negotiates every day. |
| best sales reps relished going on job interviews at the | | | | If you're suddenly without a job, you are that car buyer; |
| same time he was employed with us. | | | | inexperienced in the cut and thrust, the give and take |
| And he freely and openly discussed them with me, | | | | of negotiating the best deal for your services. Just as |
| which goes to show that I didn't mind. | | | | when you utterly must have a car that is the worst |
| I trusted him to put in his shift the next day, and to | | | | time to bargain. |
| come back from his interviewing forays with juicy | | | | When you absolutely must get a job you're in the |
| intelligence about what my fellow employers were | | | | worst position to negotiate. |
| offering. | | | | Apply The Law of Large Numbers to your job search, |
| Cary had a lot of advantages as he bounced from | | | | which says if you do enough of anything you'll get |
| one interview to the next: | | | | good at it, and do more and you'll become a pro. |
| (1) He had a good job, already, which was his security. | | | | Surpass even that amount of experience and you'll |
| So, he could come across as not-needy, having | | | | become a legend, which was where Cary was |
| role-distance to a process that others, especially the | | | | headed in his quest. |
| unemployed, take so seriously and personally. | | | | Specifically: |
| (2) He could interview them, and do a thorough job of | | | | Set as many interviews as you can, and methodically |
| it, because he was relieved of the need to sell himself. | | | | go on each and every one. |
| Without any genuine interest in bolting from Time-Life, | | | | Takes notes afterward, especially of questions that |
| he could be the boss in those chats. | | | | you heard repeatedly or which threw you off your |
| (3) If something truly exceptional came up, an irresistible | | | | poise. |
| opportunity, he could seize it. | | | | And above all, try to interview while you are employed, |
| Perhaps the greatest advantage was proving that the | | | | if possible. As you may have heard elsewhere, it also |
| grass wasn't greener down the block, that he had a | | | | makes sense to keep on interviewing even after you |
| great thing going right where he was. | | | | have been offered a new post. |
| The problem for most job seekers is very similar to | | | | Cary had lots of fun. I could see that, and vicariously, I |
| what most people face when they negotiate. | | | | did too, and we both learned a lot. |
| Suddenly, they're without wheels and they need to buy | | | | Now, isn't that a great way to "employ" yourself? |
| a car. They do a little research and visit a car dealer, | | | | |